Screen Name

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

This Facebook account is already present

Your Club account has been locked due to a breach of our Terms of Service. Please set up a new account in line with the Club rules. Review the Club Rules. Alternatively, you can email us by completing our contact form.

Please enter a valid email address

The email address/password you submitted is wrong or could not be found. Please try again. If you are not a member of the FIFA.com Club, please register first.

Overview

22 years, innumerable thrills

It began on Chinese soil in 1985, a younger brother to the
established FIFA World Youth Championship (now the FIFA U-20 World
Cup). The FIFA U-16 World Championship has since evolved into an
U-17 competition, adopted a new name, increased its participants
from 16 to 24 teams and, unlike any other men's or women's
FIFA event, crowned champions from five different confederations.

This unpredictability has added to the seductive appeal of
the FIFA U-17 World Cup, but consistency has been found in its
capacity to exhilarate the watching world and to set prodigious
talents on the road to senior eminence, among them Luis Figo, Juan
Sebastian Veron, Hidetoshi Nakata, Francesco Totti and Ronaldinho.
The twelfth instalment, which begins on Saturday, promises much of
the same.

African dominance
Global tournaments have been monopolised by sides
from Europe and South America. No team from outside of their
borders has claimed gold at the FIFA World Cup™ or the FIFA U-20
World Cup, while the only exception to their otherwise exclusive
rule of the FIFA Confederations Cup is Mexico's triumph in
1999. But during the first decade of the FIFA U-17 World Cup's
existence, masterdom belonged to West Africa.

Nigeria was the first name inscribed on the trophy in 1985,
and the Golden Eaglets claimed silver two years later before
returning to the top of the podium in 1993. In Japan, Ghana lost
out to their arch-rivals in what remains the only final between
teams from the same continent, but they did reign supreme in both
the previous and the subsequent editions of the competition,
overcoming formidable Spain and Brazil sides in the respective
finals.

Moreover, a number of Nigerian and Ghanaian youngsters have
used the junior tournament as a springboard to the senior national
team. Last year, one-time Black Starlets Michael Essien and Stephen
Appiah played leading roles in the Black Stars reaching the Round
of 16 at the FIFA World Cup.

Brazil hit back
Despite being eternal favourites, Brazil struggled
to make their mark on the FIFA U-17 World Cup during its early
editions. But when they stormed into the final of Ecuador 1995,
scoring 11 goals and conceding just one in the process, they
appeared destined to right that wrong. However, the
Seleção's 1991 conquerors Ghana once again had their
number in Guayaquil.

When the sides met again in the event's deciding match
two years later, though, the South Americans exacted their revenge,
recovering from a first half deficit to sink their African
adversaries 2-1. The principal star of Brazil's maiden world
triumph in the category was Ronaldinho. Then known as Ronaldo (he
later assumed Ronaldinho, or 'Little Ronaldo', to avoid
confusion with his celebrated namesake), his irrepressible skills
helped the
Seleção conquer the world, just as they did at senior
level in 2002.

Brazil successfully defended their crown in 1999, accounting for
Ghana's exit following a nail-biting penalty shootout in their
semi-final, and they added a third title in 2003 before booking a
meeting with Mexico with Peru 2005's prize at stake. With
Giovanni Dos Santos and Carlos Vela in sparkling from,
El Tri ran out 3-0 winners to make CONCACAF the fifth
confederation to gain representation on the trophy.

The others are the AFC, CAF, CONMEBOL and UEFA, for whom
France and USSR claimed the honours. Making only their second
appearance on the world U-17 stage,
les Bleus tasted glory at Trinidad and Tobago 2001, while
the Soviet U-16s rippled opponents' nets 20 times in five games
to reach the climax to the 1987 tournament, where they emerged
triumphant from a penalty shootout with holders Nigeria.

UnderdogsWhile the podiums at the last two tournaments have had
familiar looks to them (Brazil, Spain and Argentina at Finland
2003; Mexico, Brazil and Netherlands at Peru 2005), the FIFA U-17
World Cup has traditionally provided a setting for minnows to defy
their modest footballing statuses. This has certainly been
applicable to African teams, from a penalty shootout denying Guinea
a place in the deciding match at the inaugural finals to Burkina
Faso stepping out of the shadows of their esteemed neighbours to
finish third in 2001.

Their Asian counterparts have also upset the odds over the
years. Oman beat Germany 3-0 and Nigeria 2-1 in transit to the last
four in 1995; Qatar made it to the semi-finals at Italy 1991,
before successive penalty shootout losses to Ghana and Argentina
left them outside the medals, and tiny Bahrain topped their group
and then eliminated Brazil en route to a fourth-place finish at
Scotland 1989, which was won by rank outsiders Saudi Arabia.

For their part, Australia came agonisingly close to provoking
an even greater surprise in neighbouring New Zealand in 1999. After
winning a pool which featured Brazil and Germany, the Joeys lost
8-7 on penalties to the
Seleção.

Regardless, their contribution to a series of unexpected runs to
the last four of the FIFA U-17 World Cup will have raised hopes
among Korea 2007's outsiders that anything is possible.